Cavs blast Bucks backups to earn No. 8 play-in seed

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The Milwaukee Bucks used the final game of the regular season to rest up before defending their NBA crown.

The Cavaliers didn't have any such luxury.

Kevin Love made eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points as Cleveland took the No. 8 play-in spot — and a matchup against Brooklyn — with a 133-115 victory Sunday over the Bucks, who sat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and their other regulars.

The Cavs were in jeopardy of falling all the way to the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference with a loss.

However, they ended any suspense immediately, scoring the first 14 points and dominating a team of backups to the Bucks' backups. The Cavs made 10 3-pointers while building a 28-point lead in the first quarter and Cleveland led by 33 at half.

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love celebrates after a 3-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

"They just played the game with purpose," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Times this year we’ve been in circumstances where we didn’t play the game with 48 minutes of purpose. Tonight, I thought they did a great job of coming out and setting the tone and playing the game the way we needed to play it."

Love did all his damage in 15 minutes, matching his career high for 3s and adding 10 rebounds.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Love is the first player since 1954 (in the shot clock era) to record at least and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes or less.

Rookie Evan Mobley added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs, who won just 22 games a year ago and weren't expected